LOS ANGELES DELTANGO  

 D AGOSTINO - VARGAS    

                           

 

ANGEL D’ AGOSTINO

 

He was born in Buenos Aires, on May 25^th, 1900. When he was eight, he already was an excellent pianist. When he was twelve, and still used short trousers, he formed a trio with two friends who were his same age: Juan D’Arienzo and Carlos Bianchi, who played the violin and the flute, respectively. The were hired to play tango at the Zoo garden, but after a while, as they were not being paid, they left.  Ángel insisted on his tango passion and went to a café in Barracas neighbourhood that was called “3 esquinas” (“Three corners”), where he offered himself as a pianist. After taking an audition, he was hired to complete a trio with flute and violin. Some time later, when he was already using long trousers, he decided his “café days” were over. He went to Avellaneda, where he met the famous dancer called “El Mocho”, who danced with a girl known as “La Portuguesa”. He started accompanying them from the piano in their shows. This experience helped him to create his arrabal style, which would be the unmistakable label of his orchestra: melodious and flowing rhythm, to allow dancers to draw on the floor their eights and figures. Undoubtedly, this young man was meant to be one of the greatest artists of Argentine Tango. During his career, he had a participation in the theatre world, when he was in charge of the musical accompaniment of the play “Armenonville”, which was starred by actor Luis Arata. In that play, D’Agostino first played his tango “Pobre piba” (“Poor girl”). In 1920 he joined the orchestra  of Juan “Pacho” Maglio. He accompanied Azucena Maizani on a brief tour; and when he came back, he was convoked to play in the orchestra of The Emerald Theatre. That same year he formed his own orchestra, with which he played both tango and jazz. He performed at the tango palace, the “Palais de Glace” and added to his orchestra Agesilao Ferrazano, who was one of the most talented tango violinists. The orchestra had such a great success that in 1921 he was playing in two places at the time: the Royal Pigall Cabaret and the Opera theatre, when he was offered an important deal to travel with his orchestra to Paris. D’Agostino didn’t accept and, although he received many offers to perform abroad during his career, he never thought of leaving Argentina. Despite being very young, D’Agostino was very famous between tango lovers. In those times there were some exclusive places, such as the Progress Club, where intellectuals and high-society members met. It was also very common that high-society people had pianists to play at their parties. That is why, when Saturnino Álzaga Unzué met at El Progreso the piano young virtuous man, he hired him immediately to play at his residence. So D’Agostino began to play at the parties of the aristocratic families. In 1925, he joined Ferrazano and was the first musician in playing at the silent films sessions at Paramount cinema. That same year, he broke his group with Ferrazano and began to play at Laiglon salon every evening, presenting in his orchestra a young bandoneonist called Ciriaco Ortiz, who was very talented. In 1928 he formed his own group with violinist Mazzeo, with whom he performed at Prieto radio station, where the orchestra had a show in which D’Agostino introduced every week a different singer or musician to play with his orchestra.  In that show Anibal Troilo and Francisco Fiorentino met, and later on they would form an essential duet in tango history. The most important bandoneon player in the orchestra was Alfredo Attadia, who gave the orchestra a very defined personality and strength during his solos. This represents what D’Agostino had learnt in the beginnings of his career: a mixture between refinement and “compadraje”. This brilliant bandoneonist was also a talented composer, and some of the songs he wrote are: ”Tres esquinas” (“Three corners”), “Entre copa y copa” (“Between drink and drink”), “Hay que vivirla, compadre” (“You have to live it, friend”), “El yacaré” (“The crocodile”), “Notas del bandoneón” (“Bandoneon notes”) and “Todo terminó” (“Everything is over”). Another excellent musician who played in the orchestra was Mario Perini, who accompanied him in his successful career and is the author of: “Vieja esquina” (“Old corner”), “Luna llena” (“Full moon”), “Pinta blanca” (“White look”), “Mi tango la nombra” (“My tango calls her name”), “Rey del tango” (“The king of tango”) and “El espejo de tus ojos” (“The mirror of your eyes”).

 

 

ANGEL VARGAS

(José  Lomio)

   

 

He was born on October 22^nd, 1904 in Buenos Aires. When he was still a child he showed  his calling for singing. He didn’t have a powerful voice and he was not a “technical” singer; however, his way of singing as if he was whispering, was very successful. Neither he was one of those singers who make exaggerated gestures when performing, he just expressed quietly all the emotions our tango had. He started his career at the age of 23, when he joined a quartet as a singer. In that moment he adopted Ángel Vargas as his artistic name. Around that time, Vargas admired two singers who were models to him: Ignacio Corsini and Santiago Devin, who was the vocalist of Carlos Di Sarli’s sextet. In 1939, the Lando-Matino orchestra offered him to sing for the first time at the Marzotto Café, in Corrientes and Cerrito. The time schedule was not the best, because it was from 1 to 5 p.m., but singing at Corrientes street was a very important event. His beautiful whisperin, inspired by Santiago Devin and influenced by Ignacio Corsini, made him call the attention of directors, musicians and businessmen. In 1931, his style became different from that of his admired Corsini and Devin. Knowing that Agustín P. Berto was about to form an orchestra for radio performances, Vargas introduced himself and was hired.

                                 

 

THE ANGELS MEET

1932

 

Vázquez, who was a successful theatre businessman and a tango lover, was the producer of a comedy at the Comedy Theatre, in which his wife Paulina Singerman, was the first actress. As he was a personal friend of Ángel D’Agostino, he told him about Vargas, the young man who sang tango as if he was whispering. The director, who was always interested in finding young talents, asked him to listen to the singer. Vázquez made the arrangements and put them together at the theatre, where they could have a piano. D’Agostino invited Vargas to sing, who wanted to interpret “Tomo y obligo” (“I take and I oblige”), which was a very successful song by Gardel at that time. When Vargas finished singing, D’Agostino was very satisfied, because this young man had the voice he had been looking for so hard to join to his orchestra. And so, the Angels duet was born. A duet that would be so successful for the following fourteen years, since 1932 to 1946. The debut of the orchestra of D’Agostino with Vargas was on El Mundo radio station, and the success they had was so great that if you wanted to hire the orchestra, you had to wait for six months to do it. During their brilliant career, Vargas and D’Agostino recorded 94 songs. One of the songs that was most requested to Vargas was Canaro’s tango “Te quiero” (“I love you”), with which D’Agostino used to finish his shows. Eight years passed before the duet recorded an album, which finally happened on November 13^th, 1940, when they recorded “No aflojes” (“Don’t let go”) and “Muchacho” (“Boy”). On July 1^st, 1943, when they were really successful, Vargas decided to put an end to the duet, and he forms his own orchestra with Alfredo Attadía. D’Agostino was confused, but he understood that Vargas behaviour was dictated by his heart and not by his head. However, the director’s generosity made him not resist Vargas’s idea. D’Agostino also  assure to the young singer that there would always be in his orchestra a place for him. D’Agostino was not wrong: this new stage of Vargas career was not going to be very successful, and the economic reality of the experience taught Vargas this.  Being familiar with this situation, D’Agostino offered him to come back to his orchestra, Vargas accepted and successes also returned. Victor company released all their successes. The tango audience response was quite good and the albums were sold out. Songs such as “Esta noche en Buenos Aires” (“Tonight in Buenos Aires·), “Mano blanca” (“White hand”), “La nueva vecina” (“The new neighbour”), “A quién le va a importar” (“Who is going to care about that”), “Ave de paso” (“Passing bird”) and “A pan y agua” (“On bread and water”) were constantly played on radio, clubs and family and social parties. This duet continued its career until September 1946, when D’Agostino suggested Vargas he should start a soloist career, since the director recognised the singer was very talented and he could not stop him from growing artistically. At that time, the first bandoneoninst of the orchestra was Eduardo Delpiano, whom Vargas asked to accompany him in the formation of his own orchestra.

   

 

JULY 1959

   

At the beginning of July 1959, Ángel Vargas was communicated he needed to go under a lung surgery. At that moment, the singer was only 55 years old and his career was in its highest point. The doctors who were looking after him thought the operation had no risks to be afraid of. They told him so and Vargas accepted to go under surgery immediately. But some things didn’t go as planned, and after the operation Vargas’s situation became more complicated. Ángel Vargas died on July 7^th, 1959.

          

    

JANUARY 1991                   

 

Ángel D’Agostino continued having the same kind of life he had when he was young. He still was a regular at El Progreso and an obstinate single man. Whenever a journalist wanted to know a little more about his private life and asked him if he lived alone, he always answered “No, I live with my piano”. From time to time, he went to El Progreso and sat at the piano to play his tangos. The talented director never forgot where his career had started: the Barracas café called “3 esquinas” (“3 corners”), and wanted to pay homage to it with a tango. He asked his friend Cadícamo if he could write the lyrics for the music Attadia and him had already written. That is how “Tres esquinas” (“Three corners”) was born, that beautiful tango that was recorded by Ángel Vargas in 1941. He died at the age of 91 in his flat in Buenos Aires. In the wall, above his piano, he had hang two pictures: one of Gardel, and one of El Mocho and La Portuguesa, the two dancers he had played with in the beginning of his career. Those who had the chance of being with him by the end of his life remember him with a lot of affection. They say that he never lost his elegance, since he was always wearing suits and perfume, as he did when he was young. On January 18^th, 1991, during his funeral, Atilio Stampone, as the representative of SADAIC, said goodbye to him in a very emotive ceremony. Also Horacio Ferrer was there who, as the President of the National Tango Academy, announced that the dear director had been designated as Honorary Academic.

 

 

 

 

Those who love Tango have to recognise that these two Angels, were emblematic figures of its history. If nowadays we listen to one of their evocative tangos, we would be transported to an old Buenos Aires, rich in facts that  prepared the history that gave birth to the most beautiful music in the world.

Oscar Mármol